A StarNewsOnline Blog

All the news that's fit to chew in the Cape Fear region

Greenlands Farm, 668 Midway Road S.E. in Bolivia, is offering something new for music and beer fans. It’s hosting the Half Hell Folk Music Festival 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. This folk and Americana music festival will happen in conjunction with a tap takeover by Southport’s Check Six Brewing Company. Leave your pets, drinks and food at home but bring a chair and enjoy live music, beer, wine and food. Parking is located next to the farm store, but carpool if… Read More »

Celebrate the end of the workweek and kick off the weekend at Whole Foods Market, 3804 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, during its Wine Not…It’s Friday event 6-8 p.m. Friday. Taste wine paired with a variety of samples throughout the store for a $5 donation to the Cape Fear Volunteer Center. Pairings will include smoked Gouda sausage made in-store with Pinot Noir and ceviche with Chardonnay.

Ogden Tap Room, 7324 Market St. in Wilmington, is holding a Tap Takeover 7-10 midnight Friday with Atwater Brewing of Detroit, Mich. There will be 10 beers on tap from Atwater with many limited selections that have never been offered in North Carolina, plus a brewery rep will be on hand to answer questions and give away lots of swag. In addition, there will be live music 7-10 p.m. featuring The Other Guys Duo.

Drift, 20 E. Second St. in Ocean Isle, is not your typical coffee shop. Take Thursdays during the summer, for instance, when Drift hosts Wax & Wine 7-9 p.m. each week. During the free, fun and educational event, guests may indulge in a wine tasting with four new varieties and bring records to play. Don’t like wine? There’s also beer, food and coffee, of course, to keep your taste buds busy.

The Wrightsville Beach Fire Department is celebrating its centennial anniversary with a big bash at Wrightsville Beach Park, 1 Boy Sawyer Drive in Wrightsville Beach, beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday. In addition to fire apparatus on display, fire safety exhibits, children’s activities and live music, there will be $5 plates from Mission BBQ and commemorative items for purchase. If you want to buy your meal tickets ahead of time, email WBVFA81@gmail.com.

You’ve got one more opportunity to take advantage of Endless Fondue on July Wednesdays at The Melting Pot, 85 Town Center Drive in Wilmington’s Mayfaire Town Center, so don’t delay. For $20 per person, you get unlimited cheese and chocolate fondue. Who can resist that? The Melting Pot is open 5-10 p.m. this Wednesday, and those who want to make a reservation to ensure they get to indulge may call 256-1187.

Tinyz Tavern, 2420 S. 17th St. in Wilmington, is celebrating its Round 9 Anniversary Bash beginning at noon Saturday. There will be food from Old Cape Fear Smoked Meats as well as a promotion for New Amsterdam Vodka, an 80-proof, U.S.-made spirit that is triple-filtered and distilled five times. So you don’t have to love beer to have fun here.

A treat usually reserved for the winter is arriving super-early this year. Consider it Christmas in July as Front Street Brewery, 9 N. Front St. in downtown Wilmington, has a special release of Tiny Tim’s Christmas Porter beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Tiny Tim’s Christmas Porter, which is 8.5 percent alcohol by volume, is a rich, imperial vanilla java porter that is blended with 25 gallons of cold-steeped French vanilla coffee and barrel-aged for six months. Grab a mug and… Read More »

Former La Gemma owner Roberta Campani is wrapping up the summer with her last bash in a series of pop-up meals featuring traditional regional Italian dishes. The event is a brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at San Juan Cafe, 3314 Wrightsville Ave. in Wilmington. For a fixed price of $20 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity are not included), diners will feast on a meal that includes the following: Focaccia panini with grilled vegetables Savory French toast… Read More »

Palate Bottle Shop and Reserve, 1007 N. Fourth St. in Wilmington’s Brooklyn Arts District, is having a Belgian Beer Month Celebration with two special events this week. First, join a representative from Duvel-Moortgat to get a taste of brews including Duvel, Chouffe, Maredsous and Ommegang beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday. Then starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, check out what Wetten Importers has to offer during a free tasting of brands such as L. Huyghe (Delirium), Het Anker and Strafe Hendrik.

Tidal Creek Co-op, 5329 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, is celebrating the sweet tastes of summer with a special outdoor farm-to-table dessert and wine tasting 6-8 p.m. Friday. The dessert buffet will feature local ingredients and pair with local wines, plus you can meet the farmers and enjoy live music. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased in-store, but space is limited. For more information, call 799-2667.

Wine & Design Leland, 503 Olde Waterford Way, Suite 107, in Leland’s Waterford Shoppes, is having its ribbon cutting and grand reopening party at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The studio has a new, updated look to celebrate its fifth birthday. During the event, which is open to the public, there will be promotional giveaways, coupons for future classes and refreshments. Wine & Design offers paint parties for all ages and skill levels in a casual atmosphere where aspiring artists can bring… Read More »

The Fortunate Glass, 29 N. Front St. in downtown Wilmington, is planning a A Spotlight Pairing Featuring Peay, Arietta & Caraccaioli at 6 p.m. Wednesday. There will be four wines presented by Anne Craddock from Spotlight Brands paired with four small plates prepared by Chef Shaun Fenix. The price is $89 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required due to limited seating; call 399-4292. The lineup for the night is: Reception Wine, 2007 Caraccioli Brut Rose, Santa Lucia… Read More »

Have some fun and taste some treats at Vom Fass, 3500 Oleander Drive in Wilmington’s Independence Mall, during the Bubbles and Bites Party 1-5 p .m. Saturday. This complimentary event offers the chance to sample vinegar spritzers, mocktails and appetizers using Vom Fass products. If you want to make sure you get a taste, don’t wait too late; food will be served until it runs out. There will also be contests and prizes as well as recipes and advice for… Read More »

Fermental, 7250-B Market St. in Wilmington, will host An Evening with Quest Brewing Co. at 6 p.m. Saturday. The event will feature a variety of Quest beers on draught in the beer garden as well as craft cans from this Greenville, S.C., establishment that prides itself on becoming a sustainable, low-impact, and environmentally friendly company using locally sourced goods whenever possible. During the free event, there will be beer tastings, giveaways, meet and greet with brewery representatives, grub for purchase… Read More »

Go back to the days when everything you put on your food was made in a kitchen, not a factory. Learn how to make tasty and healthy mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise during Daily Nourishment Class: Homemade Condiments 10-11 a.m. Saturday at Tidal Creek Co-op, 5329 Oleander Drive in Wilmington. This session, taught by the ladies of GRUB (www.thisisgrub.com), just might inspire you to go home and clean out your refrigerator door. It’s free for co-op owners and GRUB clients, and… Read More »

Cape Fear Wine & Beer, 139 N. Front St. in downtown Wilmington, has two upcoming events for beer lovers. The first is at 7 p.m. Wednesday and features Crazy Mountain Brewing Company of Edwards, Colorado. Stop by to try some of their brews and meet a company representative. Then at 7 p.m. Thursday, take part in the Bull City Ciderworks Kickoff. Bull City Ciderworks of Durham crafts gluten-free hard ciders using N.C. apples and a wide variety of local ingredients… Read More »

About This Blog

Howdy readers,

Welcome to the StarNews food blog – where we focus on the fine, not-so-fine and just plain funky eats in the Cape Fear region. We cover all sorts of edible tidbits: restaurant buzz, interesting ingredients (and how to use them), recipes, great deals and more.